Improvement in telegraph-posts



AL B. SPROUT;I

Improvement in Telegraph-Posts. No. 131,037, Patented sep-3,187.2l

PATENT `OFFICE.

AMOS B. SPROUT, OF PICTURE ROCKS, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT lN TELEGRAPH-PCSTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 131,037, dated September 3, 1872.

SPECIFICATION.

n Be it known that I, AMos B. SPROUT, of Picture Rocks, county of Lycoming, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Telegraph-Pole; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable Others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification.

My invention relates to the manner of making the foundation or sill, in the pole itself, and in the cross-bar and its attachment.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is the sill A, pole B, attachment of the cross-bar C. Fig. 2 isl sectional view of an iron cross-piece, O. Fig.

8 is view of the attachment-band c', provided with bolt-head, and secured with nut c c, screwing down ilush with the cross-piece C.

My invention consists as follows: I make the sill A of metal, solid, and provided with a conical dowel-seat in the center, extending downward in the direction of the axis of the pole, and provided with four corrugated win gs at right angles to each other, made in sucha manner that where the wing is saliently corrugated on one side it presents a re-entrant surface on opposite side, thus employing the least amount of metal. The exterior edges of these wings are parallel to the axis of the pole, and from their lowest points, w, the metal is cut away up to a point, y, near to the bottom of the dowelseat, as shown in the cross-section by vertical plane at the bottom of Fig. 1. Thus the whole sill is so arranged in its parts as to secure the greatest degree of stability when driven or set into the ground, and with the minimum amount of material. The polewA' may be made of corrugated, solid, or hollowiron from the sill to the top, and tapering as it ascends and the material may be of cast or wrought metal. At the bottom it is provided with a dowel to set into the dowel-seat D of the sill A. I propose generally to make the poles of wood, of any suitable shape in cross-section, and tapering as it ascends. At the bottom of this pole a hole is bored into the pole to admit the dowelshank, and into the pole around this hole is driven the band e e to keep the pole from splitting open when the dowel is driven into the hole. This dowel is given a shape corresponding to that of the dowel-seat. I make the cross-piece at the top of the pole, for supporting the wires, of wood or iron, provided at the middle with a notch, f. A bolt, c', with a band-head, is inserted through the cross-piece, leaving the ring on the notched side of the piece. When this ring or band is slipped over the top of the pole and adjusted I to the desired height the nut c c is screwed up, drawing the ring or band into a recess in the cross-piece, and pressing the notch against the pole, holding the piece securely.

I do not limit the use of this dowel and sill to telegraph-poles, but propose to use them in fence-posts and other similar contrivances.

The iron parts in this device are treated, when hot, to a coatingof coal-tar or mineral asphalt, and thereby are prevented from rusting.

The ydowel seat may be of any suitable shape in cross-section, either square, circular, elliptical, or other. In case a pole is made of corrugated metal it may be fastened in the dowel-seat by a plug or wedge being driven between the sides of the pole, thus spreading them against the sides of the dowel-seat. The dowel-seat may be provided with but three wings instead of four, and the wings may sometimes be plain instead of corrugated. In fence-posts the dowel-seat may have but two wings, A. When the wooden post is used the ring e e may sometimes be dispensed with.

I know that winged sills are not new; therefore I limit myself to such sills when cut away at a: y, underneath, for the purpose of forming a more secure and rigid foundation or seat, and when provided with corrugations g g, which olfer a great resistance, though for light structures these corrugations may be omitted.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let- 3. The Inet-c1 sill AA, provided with closed ters Patent, issocket D', Wings A A eut away at a: y bel. The post or pole B B', provided with neath, and with or Without corrugations g g, dowel D, winged sill A A with corrugations substantially as and for the purposes deg g and with or Without the concealed ferrule scribed. v e e, substantially as and for the purposes set AMOS B. SPROUT. forth and shown.

2. The cross-piece C, provided with notch f, Witnesses: eyebolt o', and nut c, as and for the purposes PETER VANDERBILT, described. A. M. COWLES. 

